Month: October 2026

Your modular building leaves the factory clean. The road to your site can change that.

Dust, rain and road grime can leave you with cleaning to organise when the building arrives. Shrink wrapping adds a protective barrier before transport, helping reduce that exposure.

Wrapping protects the building during the journey. Post-delivery cleaning removes dirt after it arrives.

ATOM Modular offers transport shrink wrapping as an additional service. 

What is transport shrink wrapping?

Transport shrink wrapping uses industrial film fitted around the building or selected areas requiring protection. Heat shrinks the film into a close-fitting covering, with joins sealed to form a temporary barrier.

Correctly installed wrapping helps protect covered areas from dust, rain and road grime during transport. Its tight fit also limits the loose material that can flap in the wind.

The extent of coverage matters. Confirm which surfaces and openings will be protected before comparing wrapping with cleaning.

Wrapping vs post-delivery cleaning at a glance

What are the benefits of wrapping before transport?

Less transport contamination to clean off

A protective covering helps keep dust and road grime away from the surfaces beneath it.

For your project team, that can mean less transport-related cleaning to arrange at the destination. It is particularly useful when organising cleaners at site would be difficult.

Wrapping does not remove the need for all cleaning. Unwrapping, installation and other site work can still leave surfaces needing attention.

Protection during the journey

Cleaning is useful for dirt that can be removed. It cannot prevent exposure while the building is travelling.

That distinction matters where a module has openings or areas requiring temporary protection. A clean after delivery cannot undo every consequence of rain or contamination entering an exposed area.

Wrapping should be considered as part of the transport-protection scope, rather than simply an alternative cleaning method.

More preparation completed before dispatch

Site teams already have delivery, unloading and installation to coordinate.

Selecting wrapping puts part of the preparation before the journey. You can agree on coverage, removal and responsibilities while planning the delivery, instead of deciding how to tackle transport grime after arrival.

The benefit is one less thing to handle when the buildings arrive on-site.

When might post-delivery cleaning be enough?

Wrapping is an additional cost. It will not be necessary for every delivery.

Cleaning alone may be a reasonable choice where:

• The building is enclosed, with no exposed areas requiring temporary weather protection.
• The route and expected conditions present limited contamination risk.
• Suitable cleaning services and resources are readily available at the destination.
• Cleaning can fit into the installation programme without creating a problem.

A shorter trip may support that decision, but distance alone should not determine it. Consider the building’s configuration, weather exposure and destination as well.

The question is whether you need protection during transport, a clean after delivery, or both.

When is wrapping worth considering?

Wrapping deserves closer consideration when:

• The journey involves extended exposure to road grime or dusty conditions.
• Modules have open faces or other areas needing temporary protection.
• The destination is remote and cleaning resources are difficult to arrange.
• Your team wants to limit the amount of transport-related cleaning required at site.

For example, a fully enclosed building travelling a short distance to a well-resourced site may only need cleaning. A module with exposed areas travelling to a remote location presents a different decision.

Is wrapping cheaper than cleaning after delivery?

There is no reliable blanket answer. The comparison depends on the number of buildings, the journey, and the work required at the destination.

Ask for a project-specific wrapping price. Confirm the coverage and whether removal and waste handling are included.

Then compare it with the full cleaning arrangement:

• Labour and travel to site.
• Equipment, water and power requirements.
• Access to the surfaces needing cleaning.
• Timing around unloading and installation.
• Any additional visits required.

Wrapping may be worthwhile because it reduces exposure, even where its quoted price exceeds a basic clean. Equally, cleaning may be sufficient where transport risk is limited and site access is straightforward.

Neither option should be described as cheaper without comparing the actual scope.

Why not use a loose tarp?

A loose tarp does not provide the same close-fitting coverage as properly installed shrink film. Material that moves in the wind can leave gaps and place strain on its fixings.

What are the limitations of shrink wrapping?

Wrapping adds material, labour and waste to the delivery process. Removal also needs to be coordinated with unloading and installation.

It is temporary protection, not a guarantee of damage-free transport. Coverage, installation quality and the condition of the film all affect its performance.

Wrapping also does not replace appropriate arrival inspections.

What should you confirm before choosing?

Before dispatch, agree on:

• The wrapping price and selected inclusions.
• Who will remove the wrapping and when.
• Who will collect and dispose of the used film.
• What inspection and cleaning will happen after delivery.

Talk to us about protection for your delivery

ATOM Modular offers shrink wrapping as an additional service for customers who want added protection during transport.

Tell us where the building is going and what access is available at site. We can work through the wrapping option alongside your delivery requirements, so you understand what is included before dispatch.

Ask about transport wrapping when requesting your modular building quote.

How many toilets does your construction site need? Start with the project location, peak workforce and the requirements that apply to that type of work.

There is no single toilet-to-worker ratio for every Australian construction site. Victoria, Queensland and Western Australia use different guidance or requirements. Getting the numbers right also means planning handwashing, access, water, wastewater and ongoing servicing.

This guide provides numerical starting points for VIC, QLD and WA, a worked example and a checklist to help brief your supplier.

Last reviewed: 28 October 2026

This article provides general planning information, not a site-specific compliance assessment. Confirm the applicable requirements with your safety adviser, relevant regulator and building surveyor or certifier before finalising facilities.

How many toilets does a construction site need?

The answer depends on the applicable rules and workforce composition. A figure from another state—or a general workplace amenities table—may not suit your construction project.

The following sections explain selected construction-site guidance for Victoria, Queensland and Western Australia. They are starting points, not complete specifications.

Victoria: use the construction-specific scale

WorkSafe Victoria’s Facilities in Construction Compliance Code provides the following scale for up to 100 employees or contractors of one gender on site at any one time.

For male facilities, a toilet pan can replace a urinal. For female facilities, replace the urinal allocation with additional toilet pans.

Apply the scale separately to each gender group, rather than using the combined workforce total.

The code excludes specified Class 1, 2 and associated Class 10 residential work. It also excludes civil construction and infrastructure maintenance where no more than six people are expected and work lasts no more than five days. Those exclusions do not remove the duty to provide adequate facilities.

Limited unisex arrangements are available for small sites. Consult the full code before using them.

Source: WorkSafe Victoria — Facilities in Construction Compliance Code, particularly paragraphs 5–6 and 49–54.

Queensland: check project value and additional female toilets

For construction projects costing $250,000 or more, Schedule 5A of Queensland’s Work Health and Safety Regulation 2011 requires:

• At least one toilet per 15 construction persons, or part thereof.
• For projects below $7.5 million, an additional designated female toilet per 100 construction persons, or part thereof, where there are more than 15 construction persons.
• For projects costing $7.5 million or more, an additional designated female toilet per 100 construction persons, or part thereof.

Additional multilevel requirements apply. Meeting the numerical minimum does not necessarily satisfy the duty to make toilets reasonably available. Projects below $250,000 still have general workplace-facility duties.

Source: Queensland Work Health and Safety Regulation 2011, sections 41 and 292, and Schedule 5A.

Western Australia: include urinals in the calculation

WorkSafe WA’s construction-work guidance lists:

Separate facilities are generally required where male and female workers are present.

One unisex toilet may be provided where no more than 10 people are present at a time and there are two or fewer workers of one gender. Check the full guidance for access, privacy and facility provisions.

Source: WorkSafe WA — Work Environment and Facilities, under “Construction work toilet facilities”.

Worked example: planning amenities for 60 people

Consider a hypothetical Queensland project:

• Construction work costs $5 million.
• There are 60 construction persons.
• Work is on a single level.

The numerical starting point is:

This is an illustrative calculation, not an ATOM project or a complete compliance assessment. Site layout and workforce needs may require more facilities.

Source: Queensland Work Health and Safety Regulation 2011, Schedule 5A, sections 2–2C.

The next step is to confirm handwashing, access, services and maintenance requirements. Together, these form a facilities brief that can be checked, configured and priced.

ATOM Modular can work with your project team to turn those confirmed requirements into a practical modular ablution building configuration. We work through the layout, available footprint and selected delivery scope, so your team has a clearly defined building proposal to review.

Do construction sites need separate toilets for men and women?

Generally, separate facilities are expected where male and female workers are present. However, the details differ by jurisdiction.

Some guidance permits unisex facilities for small workforces under specific conditions. Do not assume those exceptions apply nationally.

For example, SafeWork NSW allows one unisex toilet where the workplace normally has 10 or fewer people and two or fewer workers of one gender. Its guidance also requires consideration of disability and the workforce’s sex and gender needs.

Confirm the arrangement before selecting a layout. Consider entrances, privacy, signage, sanitary disposal and how workers will access the facilities.

Source: SafeWork NSW — Portable Workplace Toilets in Construction.

What else needs to be included?

Handwashing facilities

A toilet count does not establish the washing facilities required.

Safe Work Australia’s construction model code recommends handwashing facilities within or adjacent to each toilet or urinal, with clean water and soap. Check the locally applicable requirements for quantities, water temperature and hand drying.

Include these details in the brief:

• Basin or washing-station numbers.
• Water supply and any hot-water requirement.
• Soap and hygienic hand drying.
• Waste bins and replenishment responsibilities.

Showers and change facilities

Showers are not determined by workforce numbers alone. Assess the work being performed and whether workers need to wash or change before leaving.

Safe Work Australia’s construction model code identifies dirty, hot or arduous work as examples relevant to shower provision. Hazardous work may require specialised washing or decontamination arrangements.

Confirm these needs before settling the building size. Adding showers can change the layout, hot-water demand and wastewater arrangements.

Source: Safe Work Australia — Construction Work Model Code of Practice. Check its application in your jurisdiction.

Accessibility and safe access

Check the route to the building as well as the facilities inside it.

Consider uneven ground, steps, ramps, doorways, lighting, vehicle movements and the needs of workers with disability. SafeWork SA’s construction guidance states that toilets must be accessible to all workers, including workers with disability.

Identify access requirements early so the proposed building and its position can be assessed together.

Source: SafeWork SA — Construction Work Toilet Facilities.

Where should construction site toilets be located?

Choose a location people can reach safely throughout the working day.

Review:

• Distance from active work areas.
• Access on different floors or across a large site.
• Separation from vehicle and plant movements.
• Privacy at entrances.
• Lighting and access in wet weather.
• Space for cleaning and servicing vehicles.
• How access will change as construction progresses.

Portable facilities also need a stable location. SafeWork NSW’s guidance addresses level ground, securing toilets against falling, privacy and safe access in all weather.

Recheck the location as the project develops. A suitable position during early works may become difficult to reach later.

Source: SafeWork NSW — Portable Workplace Toilets in Construction.

Can you use portable toilets on a construction site?

Portable toilets can form part of a site’s amenities, but the selected type must suit the applicable requirements.

Check sewer-connection expectations before choosing a self-contained system. WorkSafe Victoria’s portable-toilet guidance recommends portable toilets where access to permanent toilets is not possible. It also addresses safe placement, cleaning and servicing.

Before ordering, confirm:

• Whether a sewer connection is available.
• The flushing and handwashing arrangements.
• Water replenishment and wastewater removal.
• Safe positioning and servicing access.
• Who responds if a facility becomes unusable.

Source: WorkSafe Victoria — Portable Toilets on Worksites.

Who is responsible for cleaning and servicing?

Agree on responsibilities before facilities enter use.

A servicing contract should sit alongside routine site checks. SafeWork NSW recommends checking toilets while workers are on site and arranging regular servicing under the hire agreement. Busy workplaces may need checks several times a day.

A practical site procedure should identify:

• Who checks cleanliness and supplies.
• Who replenishes toilet paper, soap and drying materials.
• Who arranges cleaning, sanitary disposal and pump-outs.
• How workers report faults.
• What happens if a toilet is unavailable.

Keep the contact details somewhere the site team can readily find them.

Source: SafeWork NSW — Portable Workplace Toilets in Construction.

Before you order: a site amenities checklist

Use this checklist when briefing your supplier and comparing quotes.

Ask each supplier to identify inclusions, optional services and work remaining with your project team. This makes quotes easier to compare.

ATOM Modular provides itemised pricing against the selected scope, so your team can review what is included and which additional services need to be arranged.

Where to check requirements in other states and territories

Use construction-specific guidance where available. Read general workplace facilities guidance alongside any additional construction requirements.

Safe Work Australia also publishes a Construction Work Model Code of Practice. Check its legal effect locally before applying it. Safe Work Australia develops national policy and model guidance; state and territory authorities regulate workplace safety.

Modular ablution buildings for your construction project

ATOM Modular is a family-owned Australian manufacturer of modular ablution buildings, available for hire or purchase.

Configurations can include toilets, urinals, showers and handwashing facilities. We start with what the facility needs to do for your workforce, then work through the building configuration, selected scope and delivery approach.

Your project is supported by one close-working team across quoting, pre-construction, production and handover. The scope and itemised pricing give your team a clear basis for reviewing the proposal and planning the work around it.

Where included in the agreed scope, ATOM Modular can coordinate transport, cranage, block and levelling, and linking buildings to form a larger amenity complex.

Plumbing, electrical connections and site works are available on request. Confirm these items, along with cleaning and ongoing servicing responsibilities, when reviewing your quote.

Clear scope. Itemised pricing. One close team from quote to handover.

Planning amenities for your site?

Send us:

• Your project location.
• Peak workforce numbers and composition.
• Your confirmed facility requirements.
• Available footprint and site services information.
• Expected project duration.
• Your required delivery timeframe.

We can use that brief to work through a practical modular building configuration and clearly define the scope for your project.

Talk to the ATOM Modular team

Functional spaces for hard-working people.